Judge Rejects Girard College Plan to Eliminate High School, Boarding

(The main entrance to the campus of Girard College, near 22nd Street and Girard Avenue. File photo by Ed Fischer)

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Despite the school’s financial woes, a Philadelphia judge has ruled that Girard College may not drop its high school and boarding programs.

The board that oversees the 165-year-old school says the decision threatens its financial stability.

“Unfortunately, the court has chosen a path that only prolongs the financial uncertainty that now threatens the future of Girard College, so we respectfully disagree with the decision,” says Kevin Feeley, a spokesman for the Board of Directors of City Trusts, which oversees the school, operated through a bequest of 19th-century Philadelphia fiancier Stephen Girard.

Feely says it is uncertain if there will be an appeal.

“Some of the board members still have not seen the opinion yet,” he said today. “It literally arrived last evening (Monday), and so I think the board is going to take the time to consider the judge’s opinion and look at its options and see what it wants to do next on how to preserve the legacy of Stephen Girard and Girard College.”

John McDevitt has been a reporter and editor at KYW Newsradio 1060 since April of 1999, but he’s been in the all-news family for more than a decade.
McDevitt grew up in Drexel Hill (Delaware County), graduating from Monsignor Bonner High School,...